


Coffee Shop Soundtrack

by halfsweet



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 16:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5504639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfsweet/pseuds/halfsweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do… do you think he feels the same way?"</p><p>"I know he does, sweetheart." She chuckles and gestures for Patrick to look at Pete. "Go on. Ask him out. What do you have to lose?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Shop Soundtrack

**Author's Note:**

> Who's ready for another long fic? :D
> 
> loosely based off of a prompt on tumblr

"Ashley!" Patrick calls out one of the customer's name from the cup, and hands it to her when she walks up to the counter. "Your hazelnut mocha. Have a nice day!"

"Hope your day is as sweet as the barista here."

The girl giggles and thanks Patrick before leaving the shop. Patrick smiles, cheeks flushed, and turns to the other barista. "Well, aren't you charming as always?"

"Not as charming as you." The dark-haired barista grins and skips over to the counter where a customer is already waiting, scanning over the menu.

Patrick shakes his head fondly at his partner. _Pete Wentz._ A senior who studies at the same college as him. Patrick, a junior, works at the small coffee shop near the campus for some extra cash since he lives in an apartment together with his roommate. The pay is enough for Patrick to pay his part of rent and still have enough savings for himself.

Sometimes he wonders why he decided not to live in a dorm. That would save him so much money.

"One order coming up, sweetheart."

Patrick snaps back to reality and is greeted with Pete's charming grin in front of him. He smiles, nodding, and starts to make the order for the customer while Pete attends to a new one.

"You two are a cute couple."

The boy raises his head to the customer- a woman in her mid-40s, or early 50s, Patrick is not really good at guessing people's age, and laughs nervously, wishing that the blush on his cheeks is not visible to anyone. "We- uh, we're not. We're not a couple, I mean."

"Oh?" The woman sounds genuinely shocked at his answer, then again, if Patrick has to recall, so is everyone else when he told them that. He doesn't understand why everyone assumes that he and Pete are a couple.

Actually, Patrick does. Their manager keeps telling them again and again that, _"The customers love to watch you guys. You're like, their, uh, what do those kids call it again? Oh-tee-pee or whatever that is. Just keep up with whatever you're doing, it's good for business."_

 _Whatever they're doing_ refers to Pete shamelessly flirting with him every chance he gets, and Patrick may or may not flirt with him right back. It's the only reasonable thing to do.

"So, uh, I don't think I've seen you around here before." Patrick strikes up a conversation her while making her drink. One thing that Patrick likes about working in the coffee shop is that most of the customers are nice, and he is gradually learning how to overcome his social anxiety by making conversations with them.

"I'm new here," the woman chirps happily. "I've never been here before, actually."

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna love it here." Patrick gives her a smile and hands her the drink. "Your drink, maam. Have a nice day! Hope to see you again soon."

"With this kind of service, I will definitely come every day." The woman thanks him and leaves Patrick to start working on the next order.

"Hi! How's your day going?"

-

Patrick pulls his sweater tighter to himself, shivering ever so slightly at the chilly wind that brushes past him. He has just finished his classes for the day, and is now heading back to his apartment when he sees a familiar figure sitting and hunching on the snowy ground.

He slows down and stops in front of the person, trying to find words to start a conversation. The person seems to finally notice Patrick and beats him to it.

"Hey. Finished with your class?"

Patrick hums and nods, then after some consideration, bends down so they are at an eye-to-eye level. "What are you doing out here, Pete? It's freezing."

He receives a sheepish grin from the dark-haired boy and blinks when Pete straightens his back and unzips his jacket, a furry head poking out from underneath.

"Is that…" Patrick begins, staring stupidly at the creature in Pete's jacket. "Is that a puppy?"

Pete chuckles softly and hugs the puppy to his chest. Patrick can't help the smile on his face when the puppy whines and nuzzles against Pete.

"Yeah. Found the little guy alone on the street. He looked cold, so I thought I could keep him warm."

Even though Patrick keeps denying it to everyone, he can't help the small sliver of feelings he has for the dark-haired senior since they started working together. And Pete being an animal lover definitely does nothing to repress the ever-growing feelings. Honestly, how can one person be so perfect?

Patrick clears his throat and stands up straight, earning a questioning look from Pete. "Why don't you bring it back to your place?" He asks.

Pete shrugs in return, scratching the area between the puppy's ears. "I live in the dorm, dude. No animals allowed."

"You hardly seem to be the type to follow the rules," Patrick snorts at him. "Just, I don't know, hide him? At least you won't be freezing to death out here."

"Funny story," Pete laughs, looking up at him. "I left my keys in my room, and my roommate won't be back until tonight."

"Yeah, funny." Patrick scoffs, but holds out his hand to Pete and pulls him up. His face warms up at the distance between them, and Patrick quickly turns to look the other way. "So, uh, you can, um, stay at my place? If you like?"

"Really? That'd be great!" Pete engulfs him in a one-armed hug, and Patrick tries not to die of embarrassment right then and there. The thought of being alone in his apartment with Pete is too much for Patrick to handle. He just hopes he won't do anything embarrassing by then.

-

"Well, here it is." Patrick smiles up at Pete as he inserts the key into the slot, unlocking and opening the door. "My place. Make yourself at home."

Patrick waits until Pete has entered the apartment before he follows suit, shaking off any excess snow on himself on the doorstep and switching on the light.

"This is a neat place you got here," Pete comments and walks around the room, still hugging the puppy to his chest. "Do you live here alone?"

"No. I have a room-"

"Patrick! Is that you?"

Patrick groans internally at the voice. He almost forgets about his roommate. His roommate who works at the same shop as he and Pete, his roommate who _knows about his feelings for Pete_. He prays to any deity above that Brendon wouldn't make fun of him.

Brendon walks out from his room and strolls over to where Patrick is standing and waves at Pete. He throws his arm around Patrick's shoulder, and Patrick just knows that he is not going to make it out alive.

" _So…_ " Brendon drawls, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "What are you two lovely boys doing here?"

"This is my place too, you know," Patrick deadpans, elbowing the taller boy roughly on his ribs, who doubles over in pain.

"I didn't know Brendon's your roommate." Pete states simply, but his eyes are glinting in amusement. Patrick flushes at the look and averts his gaze. "Yeah. I- he, you know, he begged me to be his roommate."

"Keep telling yourself that, Stumpy." Brendon, already recovered from Patrick's previous assault, smirks at Pete. "So, _Pete_ , Peter, Peter Wentz, Peter Panda, _Petey_ -"

"Just Pete is enough," Pete says sheepishly at the same time Patrick grits out, "Oh my god, _shut up_."

Seriously, Pete doesn't need to know the nicknames Patrick made for him.

"Oh." Brendon says quietly, then grins lewdly at Patrick. Patrick knows the look too well; Brendon is going to say something embarrassing about him to Pete. He quickly takes off his sweater, balls it up and chucks it to Brendon, hitting him directly on the head.

Pete looks at Patrick, eyebrow raised in question, but Patrick just shrugs at him. "Hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, sure."

Patrick knows that Pete is following him from behind. He peeks from over his shoulder and sees that Pete is cooing and making funny faces to the puppy. Oh, dear _God_ , Pete Wentz is becoming more perfect with each passing second.

He shifts his gaze to Brendon when the latter clears his throat, smirking. Patrick flips him the bird, but not before making sure that Pete isn't looking, and starts to take out the ingredients to make hot chocolate for them. He can survive the evening with Pete and Brendon in the same room. Patrick totally can.

If he can't, well, he can always quit his job at the coffee shop.

-

"Thanks for letting us stay here. Little guy here is very thankful." Pete beams at Patrick, and the puppy barks happily and leans forward to lick Patrick on the cheek.

Patrick giggles at the ticklish feeling and scratches the puppy before turning to Pete. "You keeping him?"

"Yeah. I'll manage somehow. It's my last year, after all. There's no use kicking me out anyway." Pete laughs and pats Patrick on the back. "Seriously, dude. Thanks. I owe you one. See you at the coffee shop."

Patrick waves at his retreating back and closes the door gently behind him, then smiles goofily to himself. Pete Wentz was in his apartment. Pete Wentz drank the hot chocolate he made for him. Pete Wentz spent time with him. And they're not even at work!

"Aww, look at the blushing bride!"

"Oh, shut up." Patrick shoves Brendon playfully, the smile never leaving his face. "Aren't your shift starting soon?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm heading out now." Brendon flaps a hand at him and grabs his jacket from the coat hanger. "I know when I'm not needed anyway."

"Funny. You didn't seem to take the hint earlier." Patrick rolls his eyes and moves out of Brendon's way. "You really embarrassed me, you know? What if he finds out that I like him?"

"If he finds out, he finds out. No big deal," Brendon says nonchalantly while attempting to wrap a scarf around his neck. Patrick swats his hand away and helps him with the scarf. "It _is_ a big deal, Brendon. I don't want him to know. If he knows, God forbid, he'd probably never talk to me again. I mean, look at me."

When he's finished with the scarf, he steps back and admires his work. It looks  _awesome_.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?"

The harsh tone of Brendon's voice catches Patrick off guard, and Patrick raises his head to see the speck of anger in Brendon's eyes. His forehead creases in confusion and a little in fear; Brendon has _never_ been mad at him before.

"Do you honestly believe that people will never like you that way? That people will never like you for you? Honestly, Patrick, if you'd open your damn eyes and see everything around you, then you'd know just how fucking wrong you are."

Patrick widens his eyes at Brendon's outburst, too shocked to say anything. This is definitely a side he has never seen from Brendon. Before he can ask Brendon about it, though, Brendon has already left, leaving Patrick standing alone in their apartment.

-

_"This is Brendon! Leave a message!"_

Patrick puts his phone down on the coffee table with a sigh. Brendon still won't talk to him, reply his texts or pick up his calls. Brendon didn't even glance at him after he got back from his work last night, he headed straight to his bedroom instead.

Patrick doesn't even know what he did wrong for Brendon to _ignore_ him.

He snaps out of his thoughts when he hears the vibration of his phone on the table and answers the incoming call.

"Kevin!" Patrick greets into the phone cheerfully. "What do you want?"

_"Oh, wow. Not even a hello."_

"Like you ever said hello. So, what do you want?" Patrick relaxes into the couch he sits on. It's been a long time since he talked to his brother.

_"Nothing. Just checking up on my little brother."_

He scoffs into the phone, grumbling, "You do know I'm twenty two, right?"

_"Still little. So, hey, did Dad call you recently?"_

"No. Even if he did, I'm not going to answer him."

_"Patrick… listen, Dad's visiting your town with mom. Please meet them? They miss you."_

" _Mom_  died fifteen years ago, Kevin." Patrick states matter-of-factly, ignoring the last bit.

_"I meant our stepmother, Patrick."_

"Fat chance. I'd rather get shot in the head than meet them."

_"Why are you so angry with them? They didn't even do anything wrong!"_

"Didn't do anything wrong?" Patrick clenches his jaw, the bubble of anger inside him just waiting to be popped. "Dad married another woman after Mom died! If he really loved Mom, he wouldn't marry another! And his wife is trying to take Mom's place in the family! Tell me which part did they _not_ do anything wrong?"

 _"Do you_ even _listen to yourself when you're talking, Patrick? You're being really unreasonable right now."_

"Unreasonable is when Dad found someone else and remarried."

_"Do you want Dad to never move on from Mom?"_

"Yes!" Patrick shouts into the receiver, frustrated that his brother takes this long to understand his reasoning. He's been trying to convey the message to his siblings for years!

_"You- God. I can't even get through your impossibly thick head."_

Patrick bristles at being called _thick head_ , and as if the insult isn't enough, his brother continues. _"You didn't even come to their wedding. Do you know how they must have felt back then? That their_ own son _didn't come to their wedding? I bet you don't even know how Mom looks like."_

"She's not my Mom!"

_"She's been a part of our family for ten years now! She's more of a family than you are!"_

A feeling of guilt strikes Patrick deep, and his anger completely diminishes at his brother's words. His brother doesn't honestly mean that, does he? "Kevin…"

_"You know what, don't call me unless you've got your head out of your ass and stop acting like a baby."_

The line then falls dead and Patrick lowers his phone slowly, unable to comprehend what just happened. He tosses his phone in a general direction and buries his head in his hands, letting out a strangled scream.

Now even his brother won't talk to him.

-

"Do you think we should get a pet?"

Patrick cocks his head to look at his roommate. Brendon hasn't made an attempt to talk to him since the last time Pete came. Patrick doesn't know how to handle Brendon when he's angry at _him_ , which he never does before, and he figures that maybe Brendon just need some time to cool off. Judging from the random topic of conversation, Brendon must have already forgiven him, and Patrick is so very relieved to have his friend back.

"We're not allowed to bring animals, Brendon."

Brendon shifts and faces Patrick, bouncing excitedly in his seat. "I know, I know! But listen! Remember when Pete came the other day with a puppy? Wouldn't it be awesome if we have a puppy or a kitten with us?"

"Neither of us would be able to take care of him though." Patrick comments casually. "Between our classes and our jobs, we have no time for pets."

The taller boy whines loudly and crawls over to Patrick's lap, blocking his view of the television. Patrick frowns and moves his head to the side to get a clear view of the television.

"But _kitten_!" Brendon grabs Patrick's shoulders and shakes him back and forth. "Just imagine the cute little meowing sounds!"

Patrick sighs and drops his head on the head of the couch, wishing that Brendon would go back to ignoring him again. " _No_."

"Fine. You know what? Maybe you should be the kitten. Or the puppy. Aww, you're so cute." Brendon coos at him, pinching his cheeks until they redden. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are! Daddy loves you!"

Patrick shoves Brendon away from his lap and huffs in frustration, rubbing his sore cheeks gently. The only worse thing than Brendon being mad at him and ignoring him is Brendon being annoying in his hyperactive state. "Yeah, whatever. I've got early class tomorrow morning, so I'm gonna head to bed. Night."

As Patrick stands up, he leans forward to Brendon and whispers in Brendon's ear. " _Daddy._ "

The expression Brendon has on his face is more than enough to set Patrick off in laughter. Yeah, Patrick saw Brendon's history browser once, and he's not afraid to use it, especially in matters like this. He skips to the direction of his bedroom, silently laughing at the image of his roommate gaping and flushing on the couch.

Sometimes, the only way to beat Brendon at his game is to join him. Nobody messes with Patrick Stump and gets away with it.

-

"Hey, Pete, I'm heading to the store room for a while!"

"Yeah, okay!"

After receiving an answer from Pete, Patrick heads to the store room to get a box of cups that they are running low on, together with a box of coffee beans and flavourings. Three boxes. He can do this.

He takes the first box- the one with the coffee beans, out and places it on the floor. Then, he grabs the box with the cups and stacks it on top of the first box, followed by a smaller box of flavourings.

He crouches down on the floor and slides his hands under the first, taking a deep breath. He slowly lifts the three boxes up, standing up straight, and heads back outside all the while praying he won't bump into anything or anyone in the process.

"Hey, let me help you with that."

Before Patrick can register what's happening, Pete has already taken the top two boxes from his hands and shoots him a grin. "Better?"

"Yeah." Patrick breathes out, watching as Pete walks to the counter to arrange the stocks. They don't have many customers that day, and Patrick is very grateful for it. He doesn't think he can hide his burning face from everyone.

"You should just ask him out, you know."

He makes a startled noise, almost dropping the box he's holding, and turns to the source of the voice. It's the same woman who thought he and Pete were a couple just a couple of weeks ago. She always comes to the shop every day during his shift, and Patrick isn't the least freaked out about it, in fact, he's glad for it. At least he has someone to talk to.

"N- No. We- we're just, you know, friends. That's all we are." Patrick forces a laugh, ignoring the pang in his heart. That's all they are, anyway. _Just friends_.

"I've seen the way you look at him." The woman smiles warmly at him. Patrick flushes at her words, embarrassed. He wonders just how many of their customers have caught him in the act.

He throws a glance at Pete, and noticing that there are no customers at the counter, he places the box down on the floor and begins to arrange the packs of coffee beans on the shelf.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't see me that way." Patrick lets out a small sigh. "Maybe we're meant to be just friends."

"Hey, now." The woman clicks her tongue, and Patrick raises his gaze back to her. "I've seen the way he acts around you, the way he smiles at you. His whole face brightens up when he sees you. Like just now, when he helped you to carry the boxes. Oh, I've never seen a smile that radiant!"

Patrick blushes as the woman continues to gush to him. Does Pete really feel the same way for him? "Do… do you think he feels the same way?"

"I know he does, sweetheart." She chuckles and gestures for Patrick to look at Pete. "Go on. Ask him out. What do you have to lose?"

"I- I don't know…" Patrick chews on his bottom lip, contemplating the pros and cons. On one hand, Pete may not feel the same way, but being the nice person that he is, maybe they can still remain friends. On the other hand, if Pete does feel the same way…

"I'll do it." Patrick shoots her a quick grin. "What do I have to lose, right?"

The woman beams at him and gives him a thumbs up, then walks to an empty seat to give Patrick some privacy. Patrick tries to calm his nerves, taking deep breaths until he doesn't feel like throwing up. He swallows and goes over to Pete, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Yeah?" Pete looks at him from his shoulder, still stacking the cups into its place. "What is it, Patrick?"

"So, um, are you free tomorrow?" Patrick asks nervously, rocking back and forth on his heels in an attempt to appear casual.

Pete hums and twists his body to face Patrick. "I have class until twelve tomorrow. What's up?"

He can feel the butterflies in his gut, and he swallows his nerves. "You wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"That'd be awesome!" Pete beams at him, standing straight and leaning back against the counter. "What time do you finish your class tomorrow?"

"Two. My last class finishes at two." Patrick grins widely at him, feeling high at the fact that Pete just agreed to go out with him.

"I'll meet you at the campus ground at two, then! We'll see where it goes from there."

Pete has already returned to his previous task of arranging cups, and Patrick is still standing rooted to his spot, the grin never leaving his face. He catches the woman's eyes and gives her a thumbs up, and she nods at him, as if saying _I know you can do it!_.

Yeah, Patrick still can't believe he just asked Pete Wentz out.

-

"A little birdie told me _someone_ got a date!"

Patrick jolts awake from his nap when he hears his roommate's voice. He sits up slowly on the couch and rubs his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about, Brendon?"

"You," Brendon grins and pokes him on the chest, which sends Patrick stumbling backwards into the couch, "got a date with _Peter Panda_."

"Where did you hear that?" Patrick frowns at him. He hasn't told anyone about it, not even Brendon. Someone must have overheard him at the shop.

"Doesn't matter. What matters now is picking the perfect outfit for your date tomorrow!"

"Can't we do that tomorrow? I just want to go back to sleep." As if to prove his point, Patrick yawns loudly and lays back on the couch.

"Fine," Brendon huffs. "I'm going to make you look so handsome you have no idea!"

Patrick lets out a snort and rolls his eyes. "Good luck making this," he gestures to himself, "handsome. You're going to need a lot of miracle for that to happen."

"Oh, don't worry. Your ass is pretty, Stumpy. Don't you worry your pretty little head off," Brendon grins at him, ruffling his messy hair. Patrick scowls and bats his hand away, burying himself further into the couch. With the amount of time he spends laying on it, he's not surprised if one day he wakes up as the couch. "I knew you only love me for my ass. You don't love me for my personality."

He groans out in pain when Brendon lays on top of him, and Patrick tries to shove him away, but Brendon hangs on tight around him, wrapping his limbs around Patrick like a human-sized octopus and nuzzling against his neck. "I love you entirely."

For a split second, Patrick is stunned at how quiet Brendon's voice is. He's almost convinced that Brendon is incapable of being serious his entire life. But _this_ , Brendon sounds too serious to be true. "Brendon…?"

Brendon lifts his head, grinning, and continues in a cheery voice, " _Entirely._ Your ass and personality included."

Patrick scoffs at his answer and decides to just give up. There's no way to win against Brendon anyway. Besides, Patrick is already used to Brendon's tendency to drape himself over him.

He shifts until they get into a comfortable position and relaxes. It's been a long day at the shop, and it's going to be another long day tomorrow. He closes his eyes and breathes out, slowly falling into sleep with Brendon on top of him. He can't wait to see Pete for their first date tomorrow!

-

Patrick glances at his watch and continues to dash to the campus ground, where he and Pete had promised to meet today. He bumps into some students along the way, shouting out a _'Sorry!'_ each time he collides into someone.

It's already fifteen minutes past two, and Patrick mentally curses the lecturer who dismissed the class late. Now he has to burn his lungs to keep Pete from waiting too long.

The campus ground enters his line of vision and he sprints faster, eyes flicking left and right in search of the dark-haired senior, finally spotting him under a tree with another student- a girl. Patrick slows down to catch his breath and jogs over to Pete.

"Hey, Pete. Sorry I'm late." Patrick notices the slightly sour look from the other boy, who is glaring at the girl. He glances at her, who is sporting the same angry look on her face. Patrick looks back and forth between them, finally realizing the tense atmosphere around them.

"Uh, I can come back later…?" The younger boy starts to back away from the two students when Pete turns to him, dropping the sour look from his face and replacing it with an apologetic smile. "Hey, Trick. Sorry for this, uh…" Pete waves his hand uselessly in the air. The girl clears her throat and crosses her arms, glaring at Patrick, who flinches slightly in fear.

"So, Patrick, this is-"

"I'm Pete's _girlfriend_." The girl interjects quickly, frowning at him. "And you are?"

Patrick stares at her, half in confusion, half in sadness. He doesn't know Pete has a girlfriend. He regains his composure and puts on a polite smile, even though his heart is cracking slightly on the inside. "I'm Patrick. Pete and I work together."

"And he's _not_ my boyfriend," Pete adds, voice laden with frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm _not_ cheating on you?"

"Don't think I don't know what's going on between you two in that little coffee shop!" She growls out in anger. Patrick is taken aback at the wave of anger coming from her. "Excuse me?"

"And you," she pokes him on the chest. Patrick tries his best to not to shove her away. "You're trying to take Pete away from me, aren't you? You little twerp. Why don't you go find someone else to bother?"

"Stop talking to him like that," Pete grits his teeth. "Apologize to him _right now_."

And, wow. Patrick definitely doesn't expect Pete to be defending him. Patrick can stand up for himself, he has years of experience of it during high school, but he chooses to not get caught in their spat. _He just wants to spend some time with Pete._

"Yeah, not a chance. I'm not in the wrong."

Pete lets out a sigh of frustration and runs his fingers through his hair. Patrick immediately feels bad for him. Today is supposed to be a relaxing day for both of them, but instead…

"Look, Patrick, just tell her that we're only friends, and that we absolutely have _no_ feelings for each other whatsoever so we can get this over with."

Patrick feels like his heart just got crushed when he hears the words flow out of Pete's mouth. He stares at Pete in shock, unable to believe how easy it is for Pete to say them.

He takes a step back as he looks between Pete and his girlfriend. Both of them are looking at him expectantly, impatiently, waiting for him to say what they want to hear. Waiting for him to say what _he_ doesn't want to say.

"I- I…" Patrick stutters, hands shaking by his sides. The words are caught in his throat, and Patrick just can't find it in himself to push them out of his mouth. "I have to go. I'm sorry."

Patrick turns around and starts running in the opposite direction, ignoring Pete's cries for him.

"Patrick, wait!"

"I knew it! I knew there's something going on between you two!"

"There's no-"

Patrick blocks his hears from hearing the rest of the sentence and continues to run as quick and as far as he can. Tears start to well up in his eyes; his hopes crushed in less than a second by Pete's words.

He knows everything is too good to be true. He should've known that Pete already has someone else, that _Pete's not gay_. He stifles a sob and stops behind a building, hidden from other students' views.

So much for a first date.

-

It's already night when Patrick goes back to his apartment, and Brendon is lounging on the couch, watching the television. He walks across the living room to his room, pretending to not notice his roommate.

He plops down on his bed and buries his face in the pillow. His eyes are probably already red and puffy, and he knows he looks like a mess.

"You look like a mess."

Patrick curls on his bed as he faces away from Brendon, who has already made himself comfortable on his bed. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Fuck you, Watson." Brendon retorts back half-heartedly from beside him before rubbing Patrick's arm in an up and down motion. "I take it things didn't go well?"

" _Things_ didn't even start to begin with." Patrick mutters bitterly from his position. "I told you he doesn't like me that way, Brendon."

The taller boy is quite for a while, and Patrick appreciates the silence. He knows Brendon is feeling guilty for what he said to him in his angry rant weeks ago- which, Patrick thinks Brendon deserves to feel guilty.

When the silence stretches to a few minutes, Patrick lets out a sigh. Now he's feeling guilty about making Brendon feel guilty. "I didn't confess to him. When I saw him, he was with his girlfriend."

"Well, that sucks," Brendon comments, and Patrick rolls his eyes at his answer. "No shit."

"Shut up. I was trying to make you feel better."

"Well, you're doing a shitty job at it." Patrick scoffs in reply. Brendon shoves him lightly on the bed and pulls him into a sitting position. "Get up, Stumpy. Let me cure your broken pretty heart with some homemade cooking."

Patrick makes a loud whine and releases his hand from Brendon's, falling back down on the bed. "Bring the food to my room. I'm too tired to get up."

Instead of Brendon making a witty remark like Patrick expects him to, he just nods and gives him a small smile. "Of course. I'll bring the food to you."

Patrick stares at him in puzzlement as Brendon exits the room without saying anything else. Brendon is acting weird again- just like yesterday when Patrick was feeling nervous about going out with Pete.

The idea of Brendon _actually_ liking him and having feelings for him enters his mind before he can help himself, but he brushes the idea off as quickly as it comes. It's impossible for that to happen; Brendon never shows any interest in him.

He pulls a pillow to his chest and closes his eyes, trying to fall asleep. He doesn't want to waste a second thinking about his feelings, and he definitely doesn't want to waste another thinking of Pete.

-

Patrick rolls over in his bed and cracks his eyes open, groaning when he sees the silhouette of his roommate towering over him, arms crossed.

"It's ten in the morning, Patrick."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Patrick rolls again so his back is facing Brendon and closes his eyes. "Now get out of my room. I want to sleep."

"Don't you have class at eight?" Brendon questions him, not budging from his spot.

"Class is cancelled. Now go away." Patrick shoos him away and places a pillow over his head. Class is not cancelled, actually. He just doesn't have the energy to go anywhere that is not his bed.

"Up, dude." Brendon gets on the bed and pries the pillow from Patrick, who has a death grip on it. "Your shift starts in two hours."

 _Shift_. Right. He has his shift today with Pete. The incident yesterday left him feeling awkward, other than heartbroken, and seeing Pete has become the last thing he wants to do.

"Can you take over my shift today?" Patrick asks him softly. "Please?"

The bed creaks when Brendon moves to sit next to him. Even without looking at him, Patrick knows that Brendon is dying to ask if it's about Pete. Thankfully he doesn't.

"We can change shifts if you want to. I don't mind." Brendon offers instead. "It'd be nice to shake things up, don't you think?"

Patrick huffs out a laugh and glances at Brendon from the corner of his eyes. His roommate is definitely a blessing in disguise, no doubt. "Don't terrorise my regulars while you're at it."

Brendon mocks being outraged and shoves the laughing Patrick until his back hits the wall. "Hey, screw you. I'm the motherfucking employee of the _month_."

"More like the  _worst_ employee of the month."

-

"Patrick! I haven't seen you in a while! Were you sick?"

Patrick smiles at the concerned voice from the woman. She reminds him a lot of his mother. He walks over to the woman and takes a seat across her. The cafe is empty, and he's not on his shift that day anyway. He can spare some time with the woman.

"I, uh, I've changed my shift." Patrick admits sheepishly, cradling his cup of coffee in his hands. "I'm busy with other stuff, and, yeah…"

"So, how'd it go with your shift partner?" The woman asks excitedly, eyes lighting up in curiosity. Patrick only gives her a small smile before dropping his gaze and shaking his head slowly.

"Oh, dear…" She brings her hand to her mouth, surprised, and leans across the table to place her hand on Patrick's in a comforting manner. "Patrick, I'm so, so sorry, dear."

A sounds escapes his mouth, somewhere between a chuckle and a sob, Patrick doesn't really care, and he drags a hand over his face. "Don't be. I should've seen it coming. I should've known he already has a girlfriend."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing." Patrick replies, and his throat tightens as he recalls the memory of what happened the other day. "I didn't say anything to him. He… he asked me out so I could help him-"

He bites his lower lip and closes his eyes. He refuses to break down and cry over his unrequited feelings. He feels the woman's hand on his shoulder, patting him gently, and he can't help the sob that escapes him.

"-so I could help him explain to his girlfriend that we don't have feelings for each other…" He finishes quietly and rubs his eyes to get rid of his tears. "This is embarrassing. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying."

"It's okay to cry, you know. It's not a weakness for boys to cry," the woman says softly, rubbing his back.

Hearing the words from the kind woman, Patrick wants nothing more than to bury himself in the woman's arms, like how he always did to his mother whenever he was sad- before his mother passed away.

He lifts his head from his hands, and before he can utter a word, a man enters his peripheral vision, and Patrick's jaw drops.

"Honey, there you are. Where have you- Patrick?"

Patrick stands up from his seat and backs away, eyes widening in shock. "D- Dad?" Then, he shifts his gaze to the woman sitting in front of him, who is looking back at him in hesitation. "Patrick…"

"Y- You're the one who stole Dad away from Mom?"

"Patrick, she didn't-" His father starts, but Patrick cuts him off quickly. "Leave."

"Patrick, just listen-"

"Leave." Patrick repeats in a firm voice, which he is thankful for, considering all he wants to do is bawl his eyes out.

He casts his gaze downwards, refusing to look at the woman who has been his companion in the coffee shop for the past few weeks. The woman who happens to be his _stepmother_. He clenches his fist when she stands up with a sigh.

"Patrick, I hope you can give us a chance. We love you, and I would never think of taking your mother's place."

Patrick swallows down the lump in his throat, a sob stuck in his chest, and he squeezes his eyes shut to prevent tears from falling. It's not fair that with just a few sentences, _at the mention of his mother_ , the wall that he has built for years is beginning to crack.

"I'm always available if you need someone to talk to, alright? I'll leave my number here. Just… just call me if you need anything, and I'll be there," she continues softly, and as they start to walk away, Patrick slides back into his seat and sobs. The previous crack has completely torn the wall down into pieces.

_"I need a hug."_

In a flash of a second, Patrick finds himself in the woman's warm embrace. He clings back tight when she rubs his back in a soothing motion. "You'll be okay, Patrick."

Patrick doesn't care if he's in public, because this is as close as he can get to a mother's hug. He whimpers and buries his face in her shoulder, body shaking with each sob.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for everything…"

-

Patrick stares at the phone in his hand, thumb hovering just above the _Call_ icon. The apartment is quiet with Brendon still in his class, so it gives Patrick some time alone to himself. He takes a deep breath and presses _Call_ , bringing the phone next to his ear.

_"Patrick?"_

"Kevin, hey." Patrick greets into his phone, trying to prolong the conversation before he jumps straight to the point, but decides against it. "So, um, Dad- Dad moved here?"

_"You went to meet him?"_

"I saw him? I actually…" Patrick closes his eyes and leans back against the couch. "So you know how I work at the coffee shop? There's a woman who'd come to the shop every time I'm on my shift, and- well, long story short, turns out she's our stepmom. And, that's how I saw Dad again…"

_"How was she?"_

Patrick chuckles to himself at what he's about to say. Never in a million years had he thought he would say it. "She's actually pretty cool."

He can hear his brother's relieved sigh from the speaker, and he smiles to himself. He knows that his siblings have been trying to make him warm up to the new addition of their family since his mother passed away.

_"I told you so, loser. They really miss you, you know? That's why they moved there. So they can see you."_

Patrick's mouth hangs open at the piece of information. He doesn't know that they're willing to go that far for him, after what he had done to them for years. Years after years of cold shoulders and ignored phone calls and texts, Patrick feels like the worst son ever. His mother would probably be disappointed in him if she's still alive.

"I'm sorry, Kev, for not listening to you all these years. I just- Everyone seems to move on, and I don't want Mom to be forgotten," Patrick says quietly, as if sharing his deepest, darkest secret.

_"Patrick. We would never forget Mom. Neither would Dad. We all love her. Just because Dad married again doesn't mean he loved Mom any less, okay?"_

A smile creeps on his face at his brother's words. It comforts him to know that their mother will always be remembered. "And, uh, tell Megan I'm sorry?"

_"Why don't you call her yourself?"_

Patrick groans into the phone when his brother laughs. "You know how she is. She'd never let me live this down."

_"Yeah, yeah. I'll tell her. If you see them again, tell them I said hi."_

"Sure. Bye, Kev."

As Patrick ends the call, he feels like a burden has been lifted off from him, leaving him feeling light and content. And Patrick, for once, feels that his life is slowly coming together after the disaster with Pete.

-

Patrick mindlessly presses a button on the remote, flipping through channels after channels. He doesn't understand why there isn't a single channel that plays a decent show, and not Christmas movies again and again. Frankly, Patrick's starting to get sick of it.

He looks up from the couch when Brendon walks out into the living room, wearing a green sweater adorned with small reindeers and a Santa hat perched on his head. "Why aren't you getting ready yet?" Brendon asks him.

"Because I'm not going?" Patrick answers him, then turns his gaze back to the television and continues flipping through channels.

"It's a Christmas party, Patrick. Come _on_." Brendon drawls out the last word for as long as he can. Patrick purses his lips in annoyance and throws a pillow in Brendon's direction, effectively making him quiet.

"Come on! The shop has been planning for this for weeks! There's free food and drink and everyone will be there!"

"You go. I'm not going." Patrick states, standing his ground. "Besides, I'm not feeling really good."

"You okay?" He looks back to Brendon and sees the concerned look on his face. He smiles at how caring his loud friend can be. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just sleep it away."

"Or is it because you don't want to see Pete?"

Patrick averts his eyes and looks at his feet propped on the armrest. He hasn't heard Pete's name for quite a while now, and a part of him misses Pete.

"Of course not." Patrick replies quietly, and turns the volume up, hoping that their conversation ends there. Of course Patrick's not going because of Pete; he doesn't know how to face him after their last meeting.

"Okay." Brendon replies just as quiet. "I can stay here if you want?"

"Nah. You go enjoy the party. I'll just be here." Patrick knows how much Brendon loves going to parties, and he doesn't want to be the reason Brendon isn't going to one.

"Okay. I'll see you when I get back."

Patrick hums and waves him a goodbye, waiting until Brendon has left the apartment before turning off the television. He can't believe how his life has turned out. He used to jump at any chance he gets to spend time with Pete, but now, he'd do anything to avoid him.

The buzz from his phone grabs his attention, and he stretches his arm to take it.

_From: Dad_   
_21:09:45_   
_Are you free on Christmas Eve? Come celebrate with us. Bring your roommate along._

-

"It's almost Christmas, and this place is fucking depressing."

Patrick groans from his position on the couch- he's laying face down, voice muffled by the pillow, and retorts back at his roommate. "Your face is depressing."

He lets out another groan when Brendon sits on top of him, crossing his legs. "Ooh, nice comeback, Stumpy. I'm hurt. Sticks and stones break my bones, but your words wound my heart."

"You're lame," Patrick mumbles back and sighs. He shifts his body in an attempt to sit up, and Brendon gets off of him and sits on the floor, a worried expression plastered on his face.

"You okay?"

Patrick sighs again and falls back on the couch. He's more than glad that Brendon knows how to read his mood, and most importantly, knows when to stop being annoying. "Not really."

Brendon quirks an eyebrow at him. "Oh. Why is that?"

"It's almost Christmas, and this place is fucking depressing."

He smiles when Brendon rolls on the floor, hooting in laughter, which soon dies as quickly as Patrick says the next sentence.

"Which is why I'm not celebrating Christmas here this year."

The apartment is filled with dead silence, and Patrick averts his gaze to avoid looking at Brendon's hurt-stricken face. He knows Brendon has been looking forward to Christmas every year since they became roommates, and it's a tradition for them to celebrate it together. And for them to break the tradition for the first time, it must have been hard for Brendon.

"But… why?"

"You know how I just found out that Dad moved here…" Patrick curls into himself, and continues with a quiet voice, "…and my stepmother's here, too. They invited me to celebrate Christmas together with them." He dares himself to look at Brendon and waits for his reaction.

"So… I'm going to celebrate alone?" Patrick almost tears up at Brendon's tone. _Almost_. Because he knows Brendon since forever, and he knows this is one of Brendon's ways to get what he wants. The manipulative little shit. Patrick smiles and sits up, placing his hand on Brendon's shoulder and turning him around so he can look at him. "Then come celebrate with us, asshole. You don't have to pull a guilty card on me."

Brendon's face splits into a grin as he jumps onto the couch, straddling Patrick and hugging him. "I thought you'd never ask! I was this close to sucking your dick to get invited. Not that I'm complaining anyway."

Patrick rolls his eyes at his roommate and shoves him off his lap. "Fuck you."

"Technically, it would be the other way around-"

A pillow is thrown at Brendon's face before he can finish his sentence. Patrick huffs and lays back down, facing away from Brendon. "I'm un-inviting you. You can celebrate by yourself for all I care."

" _Pat_ rick! I'm sorry! I'll even let you suck my dick! I don't want to celebrate alone! Come _onnnnnn!_ "

No matter how annoying Brendon can be, Patrick owes everything to him for taking his mind off of Pete.

-

_From: Brendon_   
_19:30:15_   
_i'll be a lil late. gonna give u ur present early! u owe me big time for this_

Patrick frowns at the message and tucks the phone back in the pocket of his jeans. He doesn't understand why Brendon insisted on staying behind instead of going together with Patrick to his parents' house. At least they can save money if they go together.

Brushing the matter off, Patrick opens a box of Christmas ornaments to be hung on the Christmas tree. His father and stepmother have given him the full responsibility to decorate it in any way he likes.

And Patrick absolutely _loves_ it very much. He feels like a kid again, when his mother would let him decorate the tree to his creativity. Kevin and Megan didn't like it one bit, but hey, youngest sibling always got anything they wanted, and his brother and sister could go sulk somewhere far, _far_ away from Patrick and his tree.

He giggles at his childhood memory as he begins to decorate the tree. He wishes his siblings can come and celebrate together with him, but he knows they have their own lives to lead, and Patrick respects that. Besides, they can always see each other on other occasions and holidays.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Patrick gets up from his position and walks to the door. Brendon's actually early for once, he thinks to himself, but Patrick doesn't dwell too much on it. His friend is here, and they can celebrate together. That's all that matters. Patrick beams at the thought and reaches for the door handle. "Hey! Glad you-"

His sentence is cut short when he notices the person standing in front of him. "…are not Brendon."

Pete gives him a sheepish smile and a wave. "Not Brendon. Sorry."

Patrick is still staring at him, surprised that Pete is at his parent's house. To say that he is speechless is understatement, but Patrick quickly gets over his shock and clears his throat.

"Pete. Uh, how- how did you find me here?"

"Well-"

"Patrick, who's at the door?"

Patrick turns around and sees his stepmother coming up behind him, and he opens the door wider. "This is, uh, Pete," he flushes at her knowing smile. "Pete, this is my stepmom."

Pete, oblivious to the interaction between Patrick and his stepmother, extends his hand to shake with hers and smiles. "Nice to meet you. I've seen you around the coffee shop a few times, but I didn't know you're Patrick's stepmother," he says, and Patrick tries to ignore the pointed tone directed at him.

"The pleasure's all mine," Patrick's stepmother smiles and places a hand on Patrick's shoulder. Patrick looks at her in question, and upon seeing her nodding, he steps aside, glancing at Pete. "You can stay for dinner, if you want?"

"Oh, no, I- I don't want to intrude-"

Patrick rolls his eyes at Pete and motions for the latter to enter. "Just come in, Pete."

"I'll call you guys once the dinner's ready," his stepmother informs them and heads back to the kitchen. Awkward silence follows as Pete enters the household. Patrick leads them to the living room.

"So, where did you get this address?" Patrick tries to keep his voice level and casual, when inside, he's flipping out at being left alone with Pete.

"Brendon gave it to me when I went to your place earlier. I hope you don't mind," Pete replies, scratching his neck in embarrassment. Patrick's brows shoot up to his hairline. Brendon must have known that Pete's going to come to search for him, and he probably stayed back at their apartment to give Pete the address.

Patrick doesn't know whether to strangle Brendon or not for picking the inappropriate time to be intuitive.

"Oh," Patrick says quietly, unsure of what to say next. He picks up an ornament from the box next to him and continues to hang it up on the tree- anything to avoid the awkward tension between them. "You want to talk about something?"

"You weren't at the party the other night."

"Yeah. I, um, wasn't feeling well." Patrick winces when he hears Pete scoffing from next to him. "Dude, look, I'm just gonna say it. You've been avoiding me. You even changed your shift."

"No, I haven't," Patrick defends himself, hoping that Pete will buy his lie. "I've been busy. You know, finals and all."

He averts his gaze when Pete pulls at his shoulder, turning him around to face him. "You're bad at lying, you know that, right?"

Patrick scowls and jerks his shoulder away from Pete's grasp. He hates it when people call out on his lie. He already knows he's a shitty liar. The least they could do is _try_ to pretend to believe him. "What do you want, Pete?"

"I just came to check up on you." Pete shrugs and helps Patrick with decorating the tree.

"Won't your _girlfriend_ be mad at you?" Patrick widens his eyes before he can help himself. _Shit._ Face burning, he starts to stammer out excuses. "I- I mean, she was mad- like- like the other day, you know-" He snaps his mouth shut when Pete gives him an amused look.

"You're jealous." Pete smirks at him, poking Patrick on the cheek. "Admit it, Tricky, you're _jealous_."

"I'm not!" Patrick huffs and bats Pete's hand away. He turns his back to Pete so the latter can't see his red face. Patrick is already regretting his decision to invite Pete in for dinner. "I'm not jealous at whatever it is you're implying, alright?"

"Good. It would be pretty hilarious to see you getting so worked up about my ex."

 _Ex?_ Patrick tilts his head to look at Pete, who is smiling softly at him in return. "What do you mean?"

"I broke up with her," Pete admits quietly. "Remember the day that we're supposed to hang out together? After you left, we got into another fight. And I realized that we're just, I don't know, incompatible?"

"Incompatible?" Patrick arches an eyebrow quizzically. He thinks they look perfect for each other. Hot guy with hot girl.

"Yeah. Relationship is, uh, two-way? That's what my mom always say anyway," Pete pauses in his sentence to chuckle, and Patrick can't help but to laugh along with him.

"Yeah, two-way. Communication and trust, and we, uh, lacked those? So we agreed to call it quits."

Now that Pete's single, Patrick is trying his best and his hardest not to show his happiness in front of Pete. He masks his expression and puts on a sympathetic face with an equally sympathetic voice. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Pete waves a hand in his direction, then grins cheekily. "So, that's my confession. Do you have anything to confess?" Pete smiles, eyebrows raised expectantly at him.

Patrick snaps his neck to look away from Pete and begins to splutter in embarrassment. He can feel blood rushing to his neck and face. "O- of course not! I have nothing to confess, don't be ridiculous."

He avoids Pete's gaze when Pete moves to sit in front of him, placing a hand under Patrick's chin to look at him. Patrick knows his face must be burning crimson if it hasn't already, and a peek at Pete's smug look makes Patrick want to punch him in the face, crush or not.

He crosses his arms, frowning- _not pouting_ , he tells himself, and Pete chuckles at him. "Are you sure?"

"I'm damn-" Patrick doesn't get to finish his sentence when he feels a pair of lips on his. He sits there, dumbstruck, as Pete continues to kiss him before pulling away seconds later. Pete still has that smug look on his face, but his gaze softens.

"Are you sure you have nothing to confess?"

It's probably impossible for Patrick's face to be any redder than it already is, but he can't help flushing at being caught. "No," he says petulantly, refusing to let Pete win.

He shivers when Pete laughs quietly, his breath brushing against his throat. "Well, I do." Pete leans in to kiss him again, and Patrick sighs at the contact. "I like you."

Patrick knows he should be happy at Pete's confession, but he doesn't. He plays with his fingers nervously and looks down at the carpeted floor. "You don't have to lie, Pete. Just let me down gently, and we can forget this ever happened."

"Who says I'm lying?"

Patrick slowly raises his head to look at Pete, expecting for Pete to laugh at him any second. When he doesn't, Patrick relaxes slightly.

"I really do like you, Patrick," Pete says softly, hand reaching forward to brush the younger boy's cheek. "I've seen how you are with people. You're kind, always helping everyone. Hell, you even helped me when I was locked out of my room."

Patrick chuckles at the memory. Who could forget the sight of Pete Wentz playing with a puppy anyway? He lowers Pete's hand and sighs. "I know you're not gay, Pete. Just drop the act."

"Patrick," Pete tuts at him. "Have you ever heard of the term _bisexual_?"

The younger boy gapes at him in surprise. Did Pete just say what Patrick thinks he said? "Um, what?"

" _Bisexual_ ," Pete repeats himself. "Noun. A person who is sexually attracted to both-"

"Okay, okay! That's enough!" Patrick interrupts him, heat rising to his face when Pete says _'sexually attracted'_. "I know what bisexual means. God."

"Well, you're the one who asked." Pete juts his bottom lip in a pout. "I was just answering your question."

"So… you- you really like me?" Patrick winces at how lame that sounds.

"You really need to get your ears checked, because I've been saying that for the past few minutes."

Patrick bites his lip to stifle the big grin that's making its way on his face. He can feel butterflies fluttering everywhere inside him; happy that his feeling isn't one-sided. "Aww. You like me. I knew you like me."

Pete barks out a laugh and engulfs him in a headlock. "Oh, please. You like me first, you dork."

"You're the dork," Patrick replies, no malice in his voice, just happiness. "But, yeah, I like you too."

"So, does that mean you'll stop avoiding me? I mean, how are we supposed to go on dates if you keep avoiding me?" Patrick can almost hear the pout in Pete's voice.

Patrick smiles as he releases himself from Pete's grip. "Yes, Pete. I'll stop avoiding you."

"And you'll come back to work on your old shift?"

"I don't know," Patrick says the last word in a drawl, voice playful. "Brendon seems to like my shift. I don't think he's letting it go anytime soon."

"Excuses, excuses," Pete scoffs, but soon smiles at Patrick, linking their fingers together. Patrick returns his smile and squeezes their hands.

"Come on. Let's continue decorating the tree."

-

"Pete! No! That's not how you decorate Christmas trees!"

"I've done this before, Patrick. I think I know what I'm doing here."

"Yeah, exactly. You _think_ you know, when you actually don't."

"You know, for someone who is mild-mannered, you're actually pretty rude."

"Your face is pretty rude."

"Nah, my face is pretty."

Over in the dining room, Patrick's stepmother smiles at their conversation. Patrick is warming up to her quickly after the incident at the cafe, and their relationship now is far better than all of the previous years, where Patrick had treated her with cold shoulders.

She shakes her head at the memories, giggling to herself. She's glad that their relationship is mending, and that Patrick finally confesses his feelings to Pete, even though Pete was the one who initiated it first. It's a Christmas miracle, she smiles.

"Boys, dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Patrick shouts back, then the doorbell rings. She peeks from the dining room, then laughs at Patrick's giddy voice. "Brendon, you little shit! You're here!"

"Shall we get dinner started then?" Her husband asks, kissing her forehead, as the three boys walk into the dining room and take their seats, chatting merrily with one another. She nods and sits next to Patrick, who turns to give her a beaming grin.

"Thanks for the dinner."

Christmas miracle, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> It's not a sad ending! ~~The next one will be though, just like Every Storm That Comes~~
> 
> I almost gave up on this, thinking that I couldn't finish this on time, but oh god Xay thank you so much for helping me
> 
> Happy Holidays, everyone! My finals are starting next week, so wish me luck :D


End file.
